Erickson v. Perica

194 P. 963, 113 Wash. 510, 1920 Wash. LEXIS 882
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 22, 1920
DocketNo. 16018
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 194 P. 963 (Erickson v. Perica) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Erickson v. Perica, 194 P. 963, 113 Wash. 510, 1920 Wash. LEXIS 882 (Wash. 1920).

Opinion

Mackintosh, J.

Respondent Erickson began an aption against the appellant and one Wrang, alleging that, at the request of Wrang, he furnished goods, wares and merchandise to be used, and which were used, in the construction of a certain seine boat, known as the “.Kildeer,” of which appellant was the owner. Respondent claims a lien on the vessel under § 1182, Rem. Code. The other respondents intervened in the action and severally claimed liens upon the same vessel for goods, wares and merchandise furnished in its construction.

The testimony shows that Wrang, a boat builder, in the year 1919, contracted to construct four seine boats, which were constructed at the same time and built on the same forms and were sister vessels. At the time that respondents agreed to furnish materials to Wrang, they were advised by him that he was about [512]*512to construct these particular boats, and agreed to furnish, and did furnish, materials to be used in their construction.

From a decree establishing the liens of the respondents, the appellant has appealed, contending, first, that the respondents are not entitled to any liens, for the reason that the materials were not furnished with any intention or knowledge that they were to be used in the construction of the vessel “Kildeer, ” and all of the materials were simply sold to Wrang to be used by him in his shipyard; and in support of this contention, calls attention to the evidence that no separate accounts were kept by the respondents, as to the particular boat in which the materials were to be used. It probably would be true, if these were the facts and the only facts in regard to the furnishing of these materials, that the respondents would have no liens, but, while there were no separate accounts kept, the testimony shows that the respondents were informed by Wrang that he was purchasing materials for use in the construction of the four seine boats, and that the materials were not furnished for general use in the shipyard, but to be used in the construction of the four particular vessels under construction at the same time and place, and the testimony shows that while the materials were charged generally to Wrang, that the particular items that entered into the vessel ‘ ‘ Kildeer” were segregated.

This court has several times had the question presented by this assignment of error before it for consideration. In Eisenbeis v. Wakeman, 3 Wash. 534, 28 Pac. 923, the court held, where a contractor was engaged in constructing several brick buildings, and where the plaintiff, a brick manufacturer, had furnished the contractor bricks without regard to where [513]*513they were going to be used, and without any knowledge that any particular supply was going to be used in any particular building, or even in any building, that the manufacturer would have no lien. The court said:

“While the brick was being furnished it is clear that the respondent never contemplated availing himself of any security by way of a lien upon any of said buildings, but that he furnished the same upon the personal responsibility of said contractors. Our statute provides that every person performing labor upon, or furnishing materials to be used in the construction, alteration or repair of any building, etc., has a lien thereon, etc. The plain import of this language is, that the material used must be furnished to be used in the particular building upon which the lien is claimed. . . . There is no difficulty in this case, for the statute does not say materials used, but ‘materials furnished to be used,’ and thus plainly had reference to the intent of the material man in furnishing the materials. . . . and as stated it was all furnished indiscriminately without reference to any building, under one general contract. We are satisfied that, under the circumstances of this case, the respondent could have no lien. ’ ’

. That case is distinguishable from the case at bar for the reason that, as we have said, the testimony shows that Wrang had disclosed to the respondents that he was engaged in the construction of four boats, and that the materials they were selling him would be used in such construction.

The Eisenbeis case, on the question as to the intention of the materialmen to assert a lien, has been modified by the subsequent decision in Knudson-Jacob Co. v. Brandt, 44 Wash. 68, 87 Pac. 43, where the court says:

‘‘TJndey the later decisions of this court, the absence of intention at the time the goods were sold, to assert [514]*514a lien, will not have precluded its enforcement after-wards if the goods were actually sold for the understood.purpose of being used in the building, and if they were so used.”

In Whittier v. Puget Sound Loan etc. Co., 4 Wash. 666, 30 Pac. 1094, 31 Am. St. 944, the evidence showed that materials were delivered to a contractor without any purpose or intention on the part of the seller that they were to be used in the construction of a building upon which the lien was sought to be imposed, and that the materials were furnished with no idea that they might go beyond the hands of the contractor. There the court observed:

“The language of our statute is, that every person who shall furnish materials to be used in the construction of any buildings shall have a lien therefor. Do the facts disclosed by this record show that this material was furnished to be used in the construction of the building owned by the other defendants? The proof on the part of the plaintiffs showed conclusively that at the time they delivered it to the defendant Jordan, it was not delivered with any purpose or intention on their part that it was to be used in the construction of this particular building. . . . The contractor for the erection of a certain building is by statute made the agent of the owner for the purpose of building, so far as is necessary, the building to the erection of which his contract relates, for any and all material which he may purchase for use therein. The agency thus established is a purely statutory one, and will not be extended beyond the necessities of the case; and to hold that any one dealing with the person who has such a- contract, without any knowledge of the contract relations between such persons and the owner, can get the benefit of the statutory provision in his behalf, would be to announce a new doctrine upon the subject of agency. In the minds of the persons who furnished the goods there was no thought at the time they so furnished them that went beyond the person [515]*515with whom their dealings were had. And they cannot now he allowed to assert that, although they dealt with such person as a principal, they intended to treat him as the agent of some person whom circumstances might thereafter create and disclose. Our statute requires the materials to be furnished for a particular building in order that a lien thereon shall he created. And if not furnished directly to the owner, they clearly must he furnished to the contractor, as such, in that particular case, and not simply to a person generally without any reference to the particular contract under which he is erecting the building. Not only is this construction demanded by the plain reading of our statute, hut, as we view them, the authorities called to our attention upon this subject are absolutely uniform in support of this view.”

In Powell v. Nolan, 27 Wash. 318, 67 Pac. 712, 68 Pac. 389, materials were furnished for four houses. One lien was asserted against the four buildings.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Standard Lumber Co. v. Fields
187 P.2d 283 (Washington Supreme Court, 1947)
Dalton Adding MacHine Sales Co. v. Lindquist
242 P. 643 (Washington Supreme Court, 1926)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
194 P. 963, 113 Wash. 510, 1920 Wash. LEXIS 882, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/erickson-v-perica-wash-1920.